Natural stone is an excellent product for flooring tile slabs because it is composed of a hard core as well as being water proof and 100 per cent moisture resistant.
The most common difficulty when installing natural stone tile slabs, is to, accurately, install the tile slabs in such a way, that the corners of four tile slabs align without visible curves after installation in a certain order, therefore avoiding different widths between said tiles. Other disadvantages are the preparation of the subfloor which, needs to be free from indentations, the necessary use of cement and adhesives, another disadvantage is the grout between tile slabs in which stains dirt and grime are impregnated and therefore difficult to maintain clean. Besides the disadvantages mentioned, the traditional installation process is time-consuming and expensive, requiring the use of specialized labor.
Unlike wood based products, the natural stone and porcelain floor tile slabs provide core stability and, as mentioned, is 100 per cent moisture resistant.
Due to said advantages, the inventor recognized the need to integrate a mechanical locking system to facilitate the installation process without the need for cement, adhesives and grout. Over the years several flooring products, of other then natural stone, have incorporated mechanical locking systems.
Therefore, the inventor recognized the potential of the natural stone core and invented a form of incorporating the mechanical locking system in a manner that is cost-effective and technically viable by cutting horizontally into the stone core on all four sides of tile slabs and inserting pre-milled polyvinyl chloride couplings, thus obtaining a tight lock without excess movement on the locking connection.
Therefore, the inventor, by introducing the mechanical locking system, makes natural stone tile slabs more accessible to the flooring trade and to the home owner, without the use for cement, adhesives and grout. Another important characteristic is to the environment. Stone is an environment friendly flooring product with an adhesives free installation.